NEW ORLEANS – More than a hundred colleges and universities across the country are offering millions of dollars in scholarships to recruit high school scholar Dennis Barnes, a senior at the International High School of New Orleans (IHSNO). To date, Barnes has been accepted into 125 colleges and universities and has been offered a total of more than $9 million in scholarships – more than any other college-bound senior in U.S. history, according to IHSNO leaders.
Barnes plans to announce his college decision by May 2.
“I submitted college applications in August, with an eye on raising the bar high for college admissions. Decision letters were an overflow in my mailbox and hundreds of scholarship offers,” said Barnes, who is a native New Orleanian.
In total, Barnes applied to 200 schools nationally and received 125 scholarship offers as of today. Acceptance letters continue to arrive at his family’s Marrero home.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the top college scholarship recipient was a high school senior in Lafayette, La., who received $8.7 million in 2019. The organization has been contacted about Barnes’ new scholarship achievement.
Barnes said he plans to pursue a dual undergraduate degree in computer science/criminal justice. He has been dually enrolled in Southern University of New Orleans for the past two years pursuing college credits while completing his high school diploma at IHSNO. His graduation is set for May 24 at Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center.
“Dennis has grown into a hard-working scholar and ideal IHSNO student who is eager to help his fellow students with their academics,” said Dr. Adierah Berger, head of school for IHSNO, which is a public, college preparatory high school located in downtown New Orleans.
